Summer Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
This is a simple recipe that I created to use up a bounty of tomatoes and red peppers. It’s a very simple recipe but requires just a bit of simmering and stirring. In this soup, I purposely used flavors I love and ingredients I had on hand. It’s a perfect way to create a soup. If you want to substitute the type of tomato or green bell peppers instead of red, that’s just fine.
The only added sugar in this soup comes from some naturally fermented white wine coupled with the organic sugars from the tomatoes and bell peppers. This soup is not spicy but you could add a dash of cayenne powder, hot sauce or a jalapeno to up the anty if you like that flavor.
The very best way to thicken this soup without any flour or cornstarch is to use an immersion blender to break up the vegetables and puree them. It’s possible to use a blender for this process, but it’s slightly dangerous. You will need to make sure you have a vent in the blender for the steam and to cover that with a towel so the soup doesn’t spray out when you blend. Also, do not hold your hand over the top of the towel when you blend because if the soup does splatter onto the towel, it will burn your hand. Hold the kitchen towel in place on the side and then pour the whole soup back into the pot. If you can use an immersion blender, it’s the best option here. They are found on amazon for less than $20.
Lastly, I used soy milk and tofu in this recipe because they are ingredients I had on hand and ingredients I use regularly. I have studied the positive health benefits of soy ingredients and prefer it in many recipes. If you want to change up the recipe, you can certainly omit the tofu and substitute another type of milk that you prefer. Just make sure the milk is unsweetened. I prefer the tofu because it’s an added protein which is useful in keeping me fuller longer and is low carb.
I garnished this soup with some feta cheese I had on hand and a few cilantro sprigs. These are obviously optional. If you make this soup, tag @EmeraldMenus on social media to let us know how the cooking went.
Summer Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
A delicious and naturally sweet soup full of vegetables and protein.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 med yellow onion peeled of the outer layer and chopped
- 1 pint baby tomatoes or 3 med tomatoes chopped
- 3 each red peppers chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic chopped
- 1 tsp ginger fresh chopped or 1/2 tsp powdered
- 3 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup tofu
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 can white cannellini beans drained
- 1 Tbsp Feta cheese garnish optional for garnish
- 2 sprigs cilantro garnish optional for garnish
Instructions
-
In a 6 or 8 quart soup pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium heat for 30 seconds.
-
Add the onions, celery and tomatoes and cook for 7 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently
-
Add the red peppers and stir and saute for 3 more minutes
-
Add the salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, ginger, paprika and stir to combine. Cover the mixture for 2 minutes and let the mixture steam. ( Do this so the tomatoes would soften or pop and all the juices would release from all the vegetables.)
-
Uncover the soup, add in the white wine and cover the mixture again for 5 minutes and let the vegetables all cook in the wine. The liquid should reduce.
-
After 5 minutes, stir the mixture, add the water or vegetable broth. Turn the heat off and stir for one minute.
-
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup so it is more of a creamy consistency with less texture. You can also use a blender for this process but make sure to open up the vent hole and cover that with a towel so hot soup does not spew out onto you. You will also need to not hold your hand over the hold if any hot soup comes out. Be sure to hold your hand on the side. If you have an immersion blender, it's a better option because it can go right into the soup and puree it with much less mess or risk of burning yourself. Do not blend the soup until it's completely smooth. You really just want to break up any chunky vegetables and thicken the soup.
-
After the soup is pureed, turn the heat back on to medium low, add in the lemon juice and stir the soup.
-
Add in the crumbled tofu and the soy milk and stir
-
Add in the white beans and stir for 5 minutes just to warm the beans completely and turn the heat off. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
